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King joins cast of ‘Under the Dome' at local screening

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo reads a proclamation and presents author Stephen King with a key to the city Thursday at Thalian Hall before a screening with cast members of the locally filmed CBS show 'Under the Dome.'

Published: Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 9:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 9:51 p.m.

About 600 people packed Thalian Hall on Thursday night for an advance screening of CBS's upcoming series "Under the Dome," and amid the outpouring of love for Wilmington, executive producer Stephen King and the cast and crew, a few punches were thrown — but it was all in good fun.

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On both the red carpet and on stage, King, whose book of the same name inspired the show, and star Dean Norris playfully ruffled one another up, and that playful spirit was present throughout the evening. Executive producers Brian K. Vaughan ("Lost"), Jack Bender ("Lost") and Neal Baer ("ER") joined King, along with a smattering of the cast, including Mike Vogel and Rachelle LeFevre.

Before the screening, producers and cast joined Mayor Bill Saffo on stage for a special proclamation and a presentation of a key to the city of Wilmington, and even the mayor found himself the butt of a few jokes. Throughout his slightly longwinded proclamation, the cast fanned him and teased his mispronunciation of a few cast members' names. After wrapping his proclamation, Saffo – who said his favorite King movie was the generally derided "Maximum Overdrive," which King directed in 1985 in Wilmington – handed King a key to the city.

The audience then enjoyed a screening of the first episode, which will premiere 10 p.m. Monday on CBS. Cheers, laughs and gasps broke the otherwise silent Thalian Hall throughout the episode. After the screening, Kevin Frazier, host of "OMG! Insider," held a Q&A with the cast and producers. For an audience filled with King fans, the night was a highly anticipated one.

"I am a big Stephen King fan," Colleen Hattingh of Wilmington said before the event. "I've been reading his books for years, and I've loved them. When I heard they were filming this, I thought, ‘I got to see this.' "

The 13-episode show tells the story of a small town, Chester's Mill, which suddenly finds itself trapped under a mysterious dome. The town's residents must figure out how to survive beneath the dome, with the confinement bringing out the best and worst in everyone.

"You don't know what to expect," said Natalie Martinez, who plays a Chester's Mill deputy in the show. "You come across someone who does something in the first episode of the show, and we have no idea who that person is, if that person's good or not. Or if someone who is portrayed as good in the beginning, and are they going to be bad or good?"

Throughout the evening, stars continually praised Wilmington; Vogel called it a perfect place to sit down and have a beer with someone, while Norris and costars Mackenzie Lintz and Colin Ford all said they couldn't get enough of the beaches.

King, of course, is no stranger to Wilmington: His film "Firestarter" kick started Wilmington's film history in 1984 and the area's played host for four of his other projects before "Dome."

"I absolutely adore Wilmington, and I just keep coming back here," King said.

<p>About 600 people packed <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9941"><b>Thalian Hall</b></a> on Thursday night for an advance screening of CBS's upcoming series "Under the Dome," and amid the outpouring of love for Wilmington, executive producer Stephen King and the cast and crew, a few punches were thrown — but it was all in good fun.</p><p>On both the red carpet and on stage, King, whose book of the same name inspired the show, and star Dean Norris playfully ruffled one another up, and that playful spirit was present throughout the evening. Executive producers Brian K. Vaughan ("Lost"), Jack Bender ("Lost") and Neal Baer ("ER") joined King, along with a smattering of the cast, including Mike Vogel and Rachelle LeFevre.</p><p>Before the screening, producers and cast joined Mayor <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic72"><b>Bill Saffo</b></a> on stage for a special proclamation and a presentation of a key to the city of Wilmington, and even the mayor found himself the butt of a few jokes. Throughout his slightly longwinded proclamation, the cast fanned him and teased his mispronunciation of a few cast members' names. After wrapping his proclamation, Saffo – who said his favorite King movie was the generally derided "Maximum Overdrive," which King directed in 1985 in Wilmington – handed King a key to the city.</p><p>The audience then enjoyed a screening of the first episode, which will premiere 10 p.m. Monday on CBS. Cheers, laughs and gasps broke the otherwise silent Thalian Hall throughout the episode. After the screening, Kevin Frazier, host of "OMG! Insider," held a Q&A with the cast and producers. For an audience filled with King fans, the night was a highly anticipated one.</p><p>"I am a big Stephen King fan," Colleen Hattingh of Wilmington said before the event. "I've been reading his books for years, and I've loved them. When I heard they were filming this, I thought, 'I got to see this.' "</p><p>The 13-episode show tells the story of a small town, Chester's Mill, which suddenly finds itself trapped under a mysterious dome. The town's residents must figure out how to survive beneath the dome, with the confinement bringing out the best and worst in everyone.</p><p>"You don't know what to expect," said Natalie Martinez, who plays a Chester's Mill deputy in the show. "You come across someone who does something in the first episode of the show, and we have no idea who that person is, if that person's good or not. Or if someone who is portrayed as good in the beginning, and are they going to be bad or good?"</p><p>Throughout the evening, stars continually praised Wilmington; Vogel called it a perfect place to sit down and have a beer with someone, while Norris and costars Mackenzie Lintz and Colin Ford all said they couldn't get enough of the beaches.</p><p>King, of course, is no stranger to Wilmington: His film "Firestarter" kick started Wilmington's film history in 1984 and the area's played host for four of his other projects before "Dome." </p><p>"I absolutely adore Wilmington, and I just keep coming back here," King said.</p><p><i></p><p>Nicolien Buholzer: 343-2025</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @nicobuholzer</i></p>